


1985

by allonsysilvertongue



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, but there are happy things in there, i need to start putting my one shot together, i was going for light and fluff but it's a little dark, in a single story, new year celebration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 04:03:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12674046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsysilvertongue/pseuds/allonsysilvertongue
Summary: New Year at the Hoppers. Jim Hopper didn't throw a party and yet, there were people.





	1985

**_Here’s a prompt: Jopper + new year’s eve celebration_ **

Hopper couldn’t remember the last time he had celebrated New Year. Before he lost Sarah probably, when he actually had something to look forward to when a fresh year came. When he returned to Hawkins in ’79, his life had spiralled out of control too much for such trivial things like New Year celebrations to be a feature.

Letting ’84 dissolve behind him without much fanfare was more than acceptable to him except now, there was El.

Despite her special psychic abilities that set her apart, Hopper actually wanted her to have a life from here on out that would be as normal as possible. And normal teenagers celebrate New Year.

It started then with a simple _‘you could invite Mike’_. That somehow reached Will’s ears who in turn talked about it to Dustin and Lucas. Of course, Lucas told Max and Dustin… Well, he told Steve about it.

(Hopper still wasn’t quite sure how _that_ friendship came to be but fighting alternate dimension monsters together probably bonded them).

“I heard it from Will. He said Mike told him. You’re gonna ask me how Mike knows right? That’s ‘cause El asked him to come for Chief Hopper’s party.”

“I don’t buy it,” Steve snorted derisively. “The Chief’s known for being a party pooper, always shutting down parties whenever one of us threw it. Cause we’re too loud or some shit like that.”

Dustin rolled his eyes and shot back, “if you don’t believe me then come see for yourself, asshole.”

“His gotta be boring,” Steve contemplated. “What’s the Chief listening to anyway? Does he even know music?”

When Joyce’s car finally emerged through the woods in front of his cabin, Hopper already had five kids in there. Will walked up to his door as Joyce trailed after her son.

“You’re here so you got to stay.”

He kept his voice steady so she wouldn’t know that he _needed_ her around but if the way one side of her lip curled up in obvious amusement was anything to go by, Joyce could see through his bullshit.

“They’re yours now,” she teased.

“Oh, come on,” he let out a breath, opting now to be open about his struggle. “I can’t deal with them all on my own. What am I gonna do until midnight?”

She shrugged, not letting him off the hook that easily.

“Bet my hat you have nothing better to do anyway.”

Joyce glared. It was adorable that she thought he would back down just because a five foot tall woman was glaring at him.

Hopper opened the door wider, grinning.

“You’re insufferable. I have laundries to fold, you know, and I was looking forward to a nice, _quiet_ night.”

“No, you don’t. You’ll spend that time, in your own head, worrying.”

The look she shot him told him that he was right. The moment she came in, El came forward to give her a hug which she returned with such warmth.

Joyce took in the sight of his house. Hopper had _tried_ to make the house look a little festive back during Christmas. He didn’t think he had succeeded much but there was a Christmas tree which El had a good time decorating and to him that was all that mattered.

Since the six children were occupying the sitting room in an intense game of Dungeons & Dragons while the television was turned on for background noise, they both retreated to the kitchen.

“Got nothing fancy,” he grumbled, tossing her a can of soda.

“Oh, well, I clearly made a mistake. I should have just gone to the Wheelers. Karen would have given me wine or champagne. _That_ , I imagine, is how New Year is celebrated.”

Hopper crinkled his nose. “You’re not that funny.”

“That wasn’t what you thought of me back when you were sitting next to me in detention,” she said slyly.

“I was young _and_ stupid,” he retorted, taking the soda back from her to exchange it for beer but she swatted his hand and took back the soda.

She stood there in his kitchen, her eyes twinkling in mirth from their exchange, and a thought flashed briefly through his mind – _Lonnie’s an idiot._

Close to 11.00 pm, Nancy and Jonathan dropped by, surprising both adults especially Hopper who firstly, clearly did not recall inviting them and secondly, at their age, he would have been at a party one of the high school kids would have thrown.

“Powell broke it up. There was a fight,” Jonathan explained.

Jonathan and Nancy shuffled awkwardly inside. The last time they were here, they had been trying to get the Mind Flayer out of Will, not a pleasant memory to associate with a place.

Returning back to the kitchen, Hopper’s eyes strayed to Will.

“Your boy looks… healthier.”

“He does, doesn’t he? He needs to eat a little bit more but I’m afraid he will always just be scrawny,” Joyce smiled, rubbing her hand up and down her folded arms.

Sometimes, Hopper couldn’t help thinking that she was trying to make herself as small as possible, to shrink away from the world until it was only her and the two boys, someplace she could keep them safe.

“He still has nightmares,” she gave up that information out of the blue. “Nothing as bad as the episode two months ago but the nightmares didn’t stop.”

“El has them too,” he informed her, watching her take a sip from the soda. “Dealing with kids having nightmares about aliens… I think that’s going to be our new normal, Joyce.”

She snorted loudly, choking on her drink. Hopper handed her a napkin. The sound had attracted Jonathan’s attention and he shot them both a curious glance, his eyes shifting from his mother to Hopper. He said nothing.

At some point from when his brother was taken to now, Jonathan had come to accept that Hopper was going to be a strange part of his life.

Ever since El, Hopper had been over at the Byers’ place a couple of times to drop her off when he had to work night and when he picked El up in the morning, they often stayed, at Joyce’s behest for breakfast – him and El, together with the three Byers. It felt a little dysfunctional but it also _almost_ felt as if they were a family, one that could make it work. Hopper refused to dwell on such thoughts. Nothing will come out of it.

“Do you really think it’s gone, Hop? That Mind – Mind Flayer…”

He let out a breath. He wasn’t planning on having this sort of discussion today but today being the last day of the year…. A lot of reflection going on. A good, nice man would have taken pains to assure her and comfort her that the danger was gone, even if it meant lying to her, but Hopper didn’t truly believe that they were out of the woods. He didn’t speak of this to anyone, not even to Joyce for fear of worrying her needlessly, but truthfully, a part of him was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Getting El settled to a life here in Hawkins had been a challenge but it was a good one. Christmas had been quiet and enjoyable. In less than an hour, they would be ushering in the New Year and yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something might go wrong somewhere. At any moment now, something would fuck him over. He was sure of it.

It was a depressing thought which was why he kept it to himself and he hated how vulnerable he felt.

“She closed the gate, Joyce, but that thing… it’s still out there, right? It’s still…. We didn’t kill it. We didn’t end the threat. We just trapped it there.”

He heard the strangled intake of breath and he wished he hadn’t opened his mouth. Instinctively, like he had done that night on the Snow Ball, Hopper put an arm around her, the cigarette he was smoking to warm himself up, dangled from his finger. Just like that night, Joyce leaned into him.

“But the gate’s closed,” he went on, dropping a kiss to her head, a silent apology. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

“You have a cause to be. You and me, both. What if it comes back for Will or Jane? Oh god, Hopper,” she fisted his shirt in distress, “I can’t go through that again. I can’t watch Will go through that again.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he squeezed her arm lightly. “Nothing’s happened but if something goes after them, then we do it together like we have before. Nothing’s changed, Joyce, I’m still in your corner.”

There was a time before when he had been sceptical but Joyce didn’t have to worry about that guy anymore. He was here a hundred percent. Even if his kid’s life wasn’t on the line, he would still be here for Joyce.

She glanced up then and the smile she gave him…. It made him want to do things to her, most of which, would be inappropriate in a house filled with children.

He would have even kissed her if her boys were not currently sitting just outside the kitchen or if Steve Harrington had not choose that moment to walk through his front door causing a rippled of excitement.

“You made it!” Dustin exclaimed.

“I heard here’s where the monster-killing squad is so,” he shrugged, “here I am.”

Hopper poked his head out of the kitchen just then to really make sure it was the Harrington boy in his cabin.

“Hey, Chief, nice party,” he chuckled, looking for the alcohol. “Very… kid-friendly.”

Hopper rolled his eyes and retreated back to the kitchen where Joyce was still leaning against the counter, watching him with a hint of fondness in her eyes. At least that was what he liked to think it was, that some part of her was fond of him. It made him feel desperate but with El around he kept thinking – _wishing_ – that he had been given a second chance and that would include having a second chance with Joyce. 

When the countdown started, he allowed Joyce to tug on his hand and followed her lead out. They hung behind the group.

“3,” Nancy’s voice rang out.

 The others picked up after her, “2!”

“Happy New Year,” the raucous cried broke through his cabin.

Hopper smiled, he couldn’t help it. Being here in this room with a woman and children who had gone through hell and survived…. They deserved this celebration.

“Happy New Year, Hop,” Joyce stood on tip toes to kiss his cheek.

It was ridiculous how short she was and yet still so determined to reach him. He leaned down slightly and the feel of her lips brushing against his stubble jaw made him closed his eyes. He reached out to touch her hip, just to hold her steady, nothing at all to do with the fact that lately, he felt quite a need to touch her.

When he straightened up, he caught sight of El and Mike, and he was quick to place a hand on El’s shoulder. He stared down at the boy.

Looking chastised, Mike cleared his throat, changed direction and much like Joyce had, kissed El on the cheek instead.

“Here’s to a monster free year!” Steve raised his own can of sofa.

Hopper could toast to that. Remembering their earlier conversation, he glanced down at Joyce next to him.  “We can hope,” he spoke softly.

“Time for firecrackers,” Lucas announced and before he could get a word in, the kids were running out of his cabin followed by the three teenagers at a languid pace.

Joyce shook her head. “Hop, this ragtag team… I can hardly believe they took down a species from an alternate dimension.”

“ _The winner might just surprise you yet –_ it’ll make for a good tagline for a movie. _”_

He was rewarded by Joyce’s delightful laugh and in the middle of the night, in this New Year, it was a nice sound to hear. Whatever 1985 had to offer, he was ready to face it with El and with Joyce, and whatever it was they had between them.

****

 


End file.
